It’s important to know how to get your products noticed by customers and start driving sales. This all starts with how your product looks, both in it's physcial packaging, as well as how it sits on shelf. You have a mere few seconds of a consumers attentions as they scan shelves and your brand needs to make sure it shouts out to them.

Lots of brands that get in contact with us here at The Buyer's Discovery Club asking us for consulations and support with branding their products, to cater to what buyers and consumers like. So, we've spoke with our team and very own design expert to give you an insight into how to stand out on shelf:

Product Branding:

So what is branding? And why is it so important for your business and product? The common misconception is that branding is simply a logo or slogan. And although these are key parts to branding, it does, however, go far beyond this. Branding includes every aspect of a consumers experience, from your logo, product, social media posts, in store advertising, marketing efforts, customer service, internal staff brand culture and beyond.

In short, branding is the way in which your customer perceives you when they hear or think of your company name, service or product. This includes everything they think they know about your brand, including factual information, such as your bright yellow packaging, but also emotive elements, like for example that it’s luxurious.

So, why is it so important?

When considering your brand and who you want the brand to be, you need to understand why branding is such a key factor to your business. If your branding is done the right way it can promote recognition - making consumers identify with your brands visual presence every time they see it and also generating referrals of your products.

Not only does branding promote recognition, it also creates and sets certain expectations for your products - how do you want a customer to feel when they see your brand, when they purchase or when they try/ taste it. Likewise, make sure your internal product lives up to it's branding. For example, if you have a premium, matte, structured box with a frosted glass tub inside, make sure the ingredients are of the same high-quality.

Thirdly, great branding creates trust and adds extra value to your brand, it is what makes a consumer take that intial step and purchase the product prior to reaping it's benefits. Creating an experience for the customer is always a great way to do this in your packaging, whether thats the texture, colour schemes or more.

“Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

What are the key elements of branding that make a product stand out?

In the competitive world of retail and branding, your product needs to be able to stand out from the vast amount of products and brands displayed on the shelf and draw customers in.

Your brand and product needs to have something that makes it truly special and worthy of receiving the attention of shoppers.

When considering how your product stands out on shelf its important you choose packaging design that comes across professional and ensure it gives the right impression of the product. Always consider a packaging design that informs the consumer whatever is inside, providing the right balance of quality and value will allow you to achieve the maximum potential of consumer conversion. 

Think about how you make purchase decisions, we all live busy lives and a purchase decision can be made in an instant. The last thing we expect consumers to do is spend too much time reading the fine print, over analysing the products, now whilst some may do this, the vast majority of consumers will make an instant decision which means you (the brand) need to help them make that quick decision.

Therefore, you need to ensure you use the right packaging design on the right product. For example, using a design that looks appealing on a soft drink can would look completely out of place on a beauty product and give the wrong message. And whilst ‘standing out’ is important, it is not a guarantee for purchase conversion, standing out the right way by truly understanding your consumer is what lies at the heart of good packaging design and great packaging design.

Ultimately, a packaging design that is relevant to both the product and the demographic will save your customer time and speed up their decision.

How to tell a different story than other brands?

Brands today are compelled to try and tell their story in a different and engaging way, in a way that resonates with consumers and ultimately connects with them in a way that perhaps another brand may not. Now whilst story activation can done in many ways through social media, video content on youtube, linkedin, your website, through animation, interviews and so on it is vital that before you think about activation you have considered the below factors that anchor your brand story: 

1.Know Your Audience:

To tell your your brand story, first and foremost, you must know who your audience really is. The more detail you can get, the better.

Pretend you are having a conversation with your potential customer. What do you know about their daily lives? What are their hobbies? How do they consume media? What situations will they relate to?

2.Positioning Is Everything:

Now you have your ideal customer in mind, learn how to position your brand. 

• For (your target customer)

• Who (statement of their need or opportunity)

• (Your product name) is a (product category)

• That (statement of key benefit)

• Unlike (your competing alternative)

• (Your product name) (its primary differentiation)

3.Find your brand hero

Every brand story needs a brand hero. People will take action when they feel a unique connection with a person. Your brand hero should prove that your product works. Turn to your current customer base and see if they can tell your story alongside you.

4.Be authentic

If you’re not authentic, people won’t buy what you’re selling them.

5.Design it to be shared

For any brand story to be loveable it also has to be shared. Everything you put out is an opportunity for commonality among people.

To make people think, feel or smile: Does it provide a fuzzy or warm thought that make people rethink what they know about your brand or enhance their love for you?

To define ourselves to others – what we put out on social represents our own personal brand and we share what will make others view us the way we want?

Positive validation: Does your brand to empower your customers to tell a story they already want to tell?

If you have enjoyed reading this blog, then why not check out some of our other posts? We're regularly uploading retail tips, industry insights and soon starting a brand new series of 'BDC Featured Brand Of The Month'- something not to be missed!

Want to speak to a member of the Buyer's Discovery Club team? Contact us by clicking here.